SPORTSAFE NAMED GROWING BUSINESS OF THE YEAR 2010

Sportsafe UK has been named Growing Business of the Year at the Colchester Business Awards 2010. The recognition comes at the end of a year in which the company grew by almost 30%. Sportsafe sells, installs and services sports equipment, and in 2010, has signed contracts worth more than £2 million which will increase its number of clients from around 12,000 to over 50,000 by 2012.

Jon Neill, Managing Director of Sportsafe, says: “We started out in a garage in Great Horkesley in 1996, and we’re now one of the biggest and best known companies in the industry. We’re recruiting staff, investing in vehicles and computer systems and opening new premises across the country.

“It’s great to get some recognition for the hard work the whole team’s been putting in, but also for the way we work, which has been a big part of our growth. All our engineers are directly employed, for example. We don’t subcontract, so our clients know that when they call, they are speaking to the people who will be carrying out the work. Employing them directly means we can maintain quality better. Also, all our equipment is bespoke, because every gym or sports hall is different, and it’s all manufactured in the UK.

“We started out with a £4,000 bank loan, and there’s been no outside investment since. Over the last ten years, we’ve invested nearly all the company’s profits back into the company, and we’re expanding without employing any sales people.”